—??? POV—

It glowed. 

In the dark, his soul glowed. It also twisted, horribly uncomfortable. Tensions were brewing just beneath the soft and delicate surface. 

It shone its soft golden light in a dark room, and Dream couldn't sleep. 

When he managed to slip into slumber, the cries of people. All the people who his brother had mercilessly tormented. The ones who he was too cruel to put out of their misery. It was both tragic and mystifying, seeing all the people who had gone through the horrors. 

The multiverse needed him. His friends needed him. So, why did his brother make it so hard for him to get everyone somewhere safe? 

He had the advantage. He had a plan. He had resources. He had knowledge. He had support.

He had a heart, metaphorically so. 

And what did Nightmare have? The thorn in Dream's side? Well, he had a team of useless boneheads whose only drive was causing destruction. He had a bunch of idiots and nothing to show for it. He had universes full of poor sad people. He had everything that Dream—

"Stop it." A hand settled on the brooding skeleton's shoulder. A weight landed on the bed beside him. "You're spiraling." 

"O-Oh." Dream whispered, torn from his thoughts as his soul quickly retreated back into his chest. "I barely noticed... I'm so—" 

"Save it." A skeletal finger pressed onto his teeth. "Not for me to hear is it? You gotta sort this out yourself, then tell everybody what's going on in that big giant skull of yours." 

"Right..." Dream muttered, humbled. "Thank you." 

"Don't thank me." Ink replied, eye lights displaying a green square and a shiny yellow star. "Just take your time. Stay positive and stuff too. Think about the good stuff. We got something they don't." 

"Correct." Dream mused, nodding. The good thing about being a good guy. You always find a way to triumph... hopefully. 

Ink slipped out of the dark room, into the hallway as Dream continued to think. What good could a fiend such as his brother possess? He couldn't think of anyone who would be able to convert to his side except—

Except you. 

"I-Ink!!" Dream scrambled up off his bed, on the brink of a brand new idea. A scheme. A master plan, if you'd comply. "Ink I have an idea!" 

He nearly crashed into the eccentric skeleton when he whipped around the corner. 

"Dream? Done already?" Ink asked, slightly bewildered. Usually it took hours, sometimes days, for a revelation like this to occur. "What is it?" 

"The human!" He was teeming with excitement, bouncing on tiptoe as his permanent grin threatened to split his face. "Ink! The one we met all those months ago?" 

Comically, Ink grabbed his scarf, skimming along it as if looking for the documented event in which he met you. Once that proved fruitless, he scanned his arms, his gloves, along his belt, as thought there was a vial with a paper in it telling of your existence. 

"I'm quite sure I would've taken note of that." Ink said, still searching. "What did they look like? Tall or short? Smart or dumb? Meek or bold?" 

"Perhaps it wasn't wise to consult you in regards to memory..." Dream mumbled, brushing past Ink to head up front. "Oh goodness I'll have to tell Core... Is Blue still in the OmegaVerse?" 

"Yep." Ink said, popping up beside the optimistic skeleton. "He's been out there ever since that 'accident' a few months ago... I have some notes about that too." 

Ah yes, his last scuffle with his pitiful little brother. Dream couldn't help but wonder if he was getting ahead of himself, but he'd actually managed to nail him with an arrow. It was right before he slunk back into the hellhole he crawled from. Back to hiding in his hidden mansion.

It was the last time he'd seen you, too. Peculiar. 

"Excellent." Dream chirped, casting open a portal and hopping through, Ink in tow. "He'll lead us straight to Core." 

—Meanwhile—

"Bluey, what's with all the bad guy reports recently?" Chara asked, walking the former down the long hall of the facility where they worked. "It's like they've gone into overdrive." 

"I guess they're getting anxious!" Blue whispered, quiet. He had been taught not to speak too loudly. People were working everywhere around him. "I mean, I'd be too if I knew you were on my case." 

"That's silly." Chara combatted, climbing into a chair as they reached the dinner hall with Blue. "Why would they get anxious?" 

"Well, you know how when you steal cookies," a brief pause to throw a glare in Chara's direction. "Your heart starts to beat all fast and your hands shake? You're hyperaware of every noise you make." 

"Well, in some wacky scenario where I do steal cookies, then yeah." Chara quipped with a small giggle. They'd never been the type to rat themself out.

"It's the same thing with villains." Blue stated simply. "They hear, see, smell a good guy, and get really, really anxious!" 

"Oh." Chara said softly. "Yeah I think I get it." 

"Right." Blue hummed, pulling open the oven and pulling out a tray. "Now, let's have lunch! I made tacos!" 

"Yum!" Chara snickered, plucking one off the tray as soon as it touched the table. "My favorite." 

"I hope you—"

"Sans." 

Immediately the light in Blue's eyes dimmed, his gaze snapping to the doorway. Who address him as such? Bold enough to call him by the name. 

"Y-Yes?" Blue said, voice low as he approached the armed guard. Probably a Royal Guard from somewhere that wasn't his universe. 

"You are needed." 

"C-Chara." Blue turned his head towards the clearly worrisome child as the guard tugged him away by the arm. "Stay with Tori, alright? Tell her I got an urgent case." 

"Ok.." He hear Chara mumble as the guard pulled him down the hall. 

It had better be something important. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Woohoo!! First chapter and things kick off quite nicely. For anyone wondering, this book takes place a few months after the last. Maybe about half a year. Yeah. That sounds good. 

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed!

- De Moogus